Sliding
Sliding is a locomotor skill involving a sideway movement where a lead foot steps to the side and is followed by the trailing foot stepping close to it, with both feet leaving the ground briefly at the same time. This "step-together" motion is a continuous, balanced movement used in sports like basketball and tennis, requiring good dynamic balance and body control. Children generally develop the side-sliding locomotor skill between the ages of three and five years old, and can demonstrate mastery in Year 4.
Teaching cues
Demonstrate or show children pictures of people sliding. Let children have a go and come up with their own version of sliding initially. Use KIDDO’s teaching vocabulary:
- Stand side-on
- Feet shoulder-width apart
- Step to the side with the lead foot
- Back foot chases to close the lead foot
Teaching strategies
- Sliding is a rhythmical action, so provide a rhythm by clapping or saying 'step-together-step-together'
- Don't worry about the speed of movement
- Work with a partner, hold hands and slide
- Let children explore the skill and come up with their own sliding action
- Encourage overexaggeration of the movement to emphasize the steps and ensure a clear understanding of the mechanics
- Play fun activities that involve the skill of sliding, such as Netflix
- If needed, place a sticker on the foot and on the belly button to help children orient their body and remember the movement direction
- Progressively increase the speed from slow to medium to help children become comfortable with the skill at different intensities
- Play 'Crab in the Mirror'. One person slides like a crab (alternating between slow and medium speeds), whilst the other child mirrors the action
- Try sliding with the non-preferred leg leading
- Play activities such as Builders and Bulldozers, and Connect It and use sliding as the locomotor skill
- Students develop slide patterns, changing direction, using a half turn, or stopping and using a different leg to lead
- Get students to mirror a partner to develop the idea of using the slide to defend a player, as in basketball, netball, or soccer
- Play tag games such as Toilet Tag and Rock, Bridge, Tree tag, with children only allowed to slide instead of run
Skill criteria
- Smooth, rhythmical movement
- Brief period in which both feet are off the ground
- Weight on the balls of the feet
- Hips and shoulders point to the front
- Head stable, eyes focused forward or in the direction of travel
Common errors
- Looking down at the ground or feet
- Not keeping weight on balls of the feet
- Hips and shoulders facing direction of travel
- Leading foot not parallel with other foot, but pointing in direction of travel
- Trailing leg maintaining contact with ground and “dragged” to lead leg
- Movement choppy and not rhythmical
- Arms needed to assist balancing
- Legs kept straight with little knee bend throughout the movement
- Being unable to perform equally well in both directions
- Allowing feet to cross during movement
